clothing that don't cover them to well, as well as boxing gloves, and are then led out into a ring of people. After making the black boys watch a white woman dance naked the townsmen blindfolded them and taunted them to fight one another. The boys did until all them were left standing but one. This was a competition for money, however the narrator didn't know this. After the fight the boys were instructed to scramble for some change and dollar bills that had been spread out on a carpet. The boys did so not knowing the carpet was electrified. They townsmen were crowded around and kept pushing the boys back on the carpet whenever they tried to run away. When it was all over the boys were each handed five dollars and the winning boy was given ten. This was a physical battle.
Another type of battle was one of the mind.
Red boxing glove
Boxing gloves Español: Guantes de boxeo Français...
speechThe narrator was very intent on delivering his speech to the men at the hotel. His speech dealt with the topic of race, and how the two races should attempt to get along. He had been asked to give the speech this night after someone had heard him deliver it at a school graduation. Even while he was being beaten by the other black boys to the point where he had blood in his eyes and overflowing his mouth he kept thinking about how and if he was going to be able to give his speech. It was a battle between right and wrong. He didn't want to fight a fellow black man for the enjoyment of white people, but he feared it was the only way they would let him give the speech when the whole ordeal was over. When one man in the crowd bet money against him he allowed himself to be knocked out in order to not upset the gentleman and hurt his chances with the speech. In the end he gained the respect of the white men. They gave him a leather briefcase and a scholarship to the state college for Negroes.
Boxing gloves
United Nations exhibit put on by OWI in Rockefelle...
Speech